The casino environment is specially designed to entice and captivate a potential player (i.e., customer) through all five senses and beyond. The player is surrounded by luxurious décor, tables, and chips, and elegantly-clad dealers and/or croupiers. Distractions also surround the player, including smiling waitresses in revealing outfits, free alcoholic drinks, music from live bands, and a near-constant clanging, chiming, and ringing from nearby slot machines. And not the least of these sensory elements of the casino experience are the sights and sounds of other players in the casino, both fellow players at the table and those at nearby tables, whether cheers of excitement, gasps of dismay, or commentary and banter. All of these contribute to the real-world casino environment and the experience of casino gambling; however, players must travel to a casino, which may be costly in terms of time or money, or simply difficult, e.g., as it may be for people who are elderly, physically handicapped, or averse to smoke-filled environments.
Even so, many players prefer gaming in a live, real-world environment, not only because of the sensory elements described above, but also because online games are suspected of being “rigged” to increase the house advantage, and because the authenticity of online games may be more difficult for a player or disinterested observer to verify. When a player enters a real-world casino, not only is the player able to verify (whether by counting cards or otherwise) the authenticity of the game, but the player is also able to rely upon the reputation of the casino for not providing “crooked” games. Many players will even move from table to table, often having played only a single hand at a given table, looking for a “good” dealer or a “hot” game—such an assessment often depends on many elements that are best assessed in person.
Online gaming has attempted to bring the casino experience into the home, and many different websites and downloadable applications are available to play many varieties of games, including but not limited to blackjack, poker, baccarat, roulette, craps, dice, etc. Gaming at such websites may involve one or more software programs enabling the remote game player to enter any wagers and gameplay actions required to play the game (e.g., ante, small blind, big blind, bring-in, post, straddle, sleeper, call, raise, check-raise, all-in, double-down, split, double-after-split, pay commission, side bets/surrender/insurance, bet on another player, bet on banker, stand/stay/stick, hit/draw, fold, show/turn a card, select individual card(s) to hold or discard, select ordering of cards in one's hand). In online gaming, the cards that are dealt may be controlled by a random-number-generator (“RNG”). Other aspects of the gaming website may include accounting/financial software (e.g., electronic funds transfer (“EFT”), wire transfer, credit card authorization), statistical analysis software, and game-monitoring/security software applications. However, the majority of online casino gaming websites only provide computer-generated graphics and canned sound effects; some websites have attempted to recreate a more realistic environment by providing features such as a “live dealer,” but even these websites do not capture most of the real-world casino environment.
In addition, online gaming presents risks for remote players. The ownership and gaming jurisdictions from which the host online casino is operating is not always easily transparent to the remote player. It also is very difficult, to determine the integrity of the games offered for play, and/or the integrity of a particular virtual shoe used by online casinos offering games of chance. Typically, online casinos do not disclose the house game advantage, their deck-penetration rule, and their policy for resolving disputes. Even were such information to be provided, it would be almost impossible to verify the accuracy of the information, and dispute resolution is typically a lengthy and frustrating, if not futile, process. Furthermore, online casinos do not guarantee that the remote players will be paid when he/she chooses to cash out. In many instances, when a remote player chooses to close an account with a positive balance, the player is not always paid the remaining balance, much less promptly.
Online gaming also has its risks for the game provider—many online casinos risk violating the law by accepting wagers from remote players located in countries or states where one or more forms of online gambling are illegal. Online casinos face difficulty in verifying the age and location of the remote player, both of which may be essential to verify that the player has a legitimate right to play games on the website. Currently, the majority of real-world casinos will issue a Player Tracking Card (“PTC”) to customers who produce a valid, government-issued photo ID verifying that the customer is legally of age to gamble in the gaming jurisdiction of the issuing real-world casino; however, most online gambling sites do not have the ability to accept and verify a PTC, especially those issued by an un-related entity. There is a need for new and improved security methods applicable to legally licensed online casinos that will benefit all remote players and parties engaged in the operation and regulation of online casinos accepting wagers on games of chance, including but not limited to protecting the assets of the remote players, the online casinos, casino regulators, any associated financial institutions or other businesses, and the general public.